Collaborate with faculty, staff and other professionals to dive into a topic, solve problems and create new ideas. You’ll learn about and engage in the research process: learning from experts, defining questions, conducting investigations, and sharing your findings.
Research & Capstone Experience Examples
📘 Academic Research
- Capstone Projects: Completing a culminating academic project that integrates knowledge and skills from your major to solve a real-world problem.
- Independent Research Projects: Designing and conducting your own study under faculty supervision, often resulting in a thesis or presentation.
- Faculty-Led Research: Assisting a professor with ongoing research in a lab, studio, or field setting.
- Honors Thesis: Conducting in-depth research as part of an honors program, typically involving a written thesis and oral defense.
- Summer Research Programs: Participating in Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) funded by institutions or organizations.
- Interdisciplinary Research Teams: Working with students and faculty from multiple disciplines on complex, cross-cutting topics.
🌍 Community & Global Engagement
- Community-Based Research: Collaborating with local organizations to investigate and address community issues.
- Global Research Opportunities: Conducting research abroad or with international collaborators on global issues.
🎨 Creative & Scholarly Dissemination
- Creative Research Projects: Exploring research through artistic or creative mediums such as design, performance, or multimedia.
- Conference Presentations: Presenting research findings at academic or professional conferences, locally or nationally.
- Publication in Undergraduate Journals: Writing and submitting research papers to student-run or peer-reviewed journals.
How to Get Started
💡 Planning & Exploration
- Identify your interests: Reflect on topics, questions, or problems you’re passionate about exploring more deeply.
- Explore capstone requirements: Review your major’s curriculum to understand when and how to complete a capstone project.
- Develop a proposal or idea: If pursuing independent research, start drafting a proposal and seek feedback from a mentor or advisor.
👥 Connect with Faculty & Staff
- Talk to faculty members: Reach out to professors whose work interests you and ask about research opportunities or how to get involved in their projects.
- Attend research fairs or info sessions: Participate in campus events where students and faculty showcase research and explain how to get involved.
- Meet with your Career Coach in the Career Center to learn about internships or other experiences that involve research.
🔍 Find Opportunities
- Look for on-campus jobs that include research: Check Handshake, departmental information or ask faculty about openings for student researchers.
- Consider summer research programs: Apply for Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) or other summer research internships.
